1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to locking devices, and more particularly to a lock device having a shackle and a retaining cable releasably secured to the lock case to secure the lock device at the use location whether the shackle is in a locked or unlocked condition.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
It is common practice to secure articles with lock devices having a shackle. It is also common practice to wrap a chain around the article to be secured and pas the shackle through links at the free ends of the chain.
Often it may be necessary to leave a lock in the unlocked condition in order to allow someone without a key to enter the secured area or until such time as it is necessary to re-lock the article to be secured.
One of the major problems with conventional locking devices is that once the shackle of the lock has been opened, the lock can easily be lost, misplaced, stolen, or otherwise removed from the location at which the lock is to be used.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a locking device having a shackle and a retaining cable secured to the case of the lock to allow the lock to be retained at the use location whether the shackle is in a locked or unlocked condition and to prevent the lock from being lost or stolen.
There are several patents which disclose locking devices having various shackle, chain, and cable attachments.
Gray, U.S. Pat. No. 1,386,778 discloses a locking device having a shackle in the form of a link chain. One end of the link chain is permanently secured to one end of the lock body and its free end is connected and disconnected from the other end of the lock body by the locking and unlocking of the lock.
Soref, U.S. Pat. No. 1,845,354 discloses a locking device having a U-shaped shackle permanently secured to the lock body and a link chain having a link at one end permanently captured by the shackle and a T-shaped head at the free end of the chain. The T-shaped head is connected and disconnected from the shackle by the locking and unlocking of the lock with a key.
Hanton, U.S. Pat. No. 1,609,817 discloses a padlock having a yoke-shaped shackle pivoted at one side to the lock body and a link chain having a link at one end permanently captured by the shackle and a link at the free end of the chain releasably captured by the shackle such that the two ends of the chain are locked together.
Best, U.S. Pat. No. 3,605,458 discloses a padlock having a shackle in the form of a flexible cable. The cable heel piece is permanently but rotatably secured in the lock body with a shackle plug which is inserted with the heel piece from the rear and then turned to bayonet locked engagement with lugs within the lock body. The cable toe piece is releasably secured with a sliding bolt.
The present invention is distinguished over the prior art in general, and these patents in particular by a lock device having a shackle and a retaining cable secured to the lock case. The shackle has a heel-piece which is permanently retained slidably and rotatably in the case of the lock device and is urged upwardly in the unlocked position by a spring. The retainer cable has a yoke at one end which is received in a slot in the side of the lock case and captured within the case by the lower portion of the shackle which slides up and down through the yoke as the shackle is moved up and down between the locked and unlocked positions. The free end of the retaining cable may be secured to a convenient structure in close proximity to where the lock will be used to maintain the lock at the use location whereby the lock may be secured at the use location either in its locked or unlocked condition. After the lock has been unlocked by a key, the shackle can be rotated and can be installed on or removed from the article to be secured by the lock, but the retaining cable yoke is still locked within the lock case by the lower portion of the shackle heel-piece. When the key is reinserted and turned, the shackle is turned 180 degrees and pushed to the complete down position to align a flat portion of the heel-piece with a slot in the yoke and the yoke can be pulled out of the lock case. A color-coding system may also be provided to identify corresponding keys, locks, and retainer cables.